Machinedrum – What Is This (2017)

Continuing his reign as the underground’s most consistent and chameleonic musicmaker, today Machinedrum announces the release of his “What Is This” single featuring Rosie Lowe on Ninja Tune. The track picks up where the Los Angeles producer left off on April’s “U Betta,” melodies programmed with razor-sharp precision and percussion snaking in and out quick enough to give you whiplash — but the exercise is decidedly sleeker with Lowe’s vocals in the mix, slicked head to toe in a warm, moody sheen.

On the track and his collaboration with Rosie Lowe, Machinedrum says:

“Rosie and I originally wrote this tune a few years ago in a London studio. It was originally quite somber and slow moving, a song about learning to trust the ones you love and to let go of jealousy. It also deals with obsession and all the confusing emotions you get when you first fall in love. When I was working on ‘Human Energy’ I pulled up the vocals from that session and decided to give them new life. We are so happy to finally share this very special song with the world!”

“What Is This,” like “U Betta,” is part of a string of new tracks to be released in 2017 in the wake of last year’s Human Energy. The album marked a confident step into the light for Machinedrum, bringing him out of the darker ends of bass music darlinghood and brightly capturing the imagination of fans and music-making peers alike. “Maybe this is the album where Machinedrum breaks big,” Pitchfork mused, and big he broke – garnering critical praise, collaborating with contemporary rnb breakout D∆WN all over her debut record, remixing the likes of Sylvan Esso, Axwell /\ Ingrosso and Noisia, and touring the world with his Human Energy Live A/V show produced in collaboration with visual luminaries Strangeloop and Timeboy.